Hi Friends!! I remember I said about two months ago that I wanted to make Mommy Monday a regular thing … I don’t know what happened between then and now but I’m back!! I feel like I’ve got some things to update you on in the motherhood category so here we go:
We went dairy-free with Brian. I’m the last person I would expect to go dairy-free. Admittedly, I have always eye rolled when I hear people say they are dairy free, gluten free, animal free, plant based, etc…I could never understand WHY anyone would give up an entire food group but I’m starting to see something in this whole elimination process. We started a couple weeks ago and I’m seeing a HUGE difference. Since he was a little baby, he’s had eczema and sensitive skin. In December, you may remember me posting about his string of unexplained HIGH fevers (104-105.5) with no other symptoms, they came and went and he had about 4 isolated instances throughout the month) and afterwards, a lingering rash that broke out which was diagnosed as pityriasis rosea, very uncommon for a 4.5 year old. On a separate note, before the fevers and the rash, we were starting to investigate signs of asthma because every time Brian catches a cold, it immediately goes to his chest and he gets the worst cough. Our pediatricians are great, but I kind of felt like I needed to take this matter into my own hands and experiment. I suggested an allergy test but our ped said it wasn’t necessary. They said the fevers were because of an infection (we still don’t know the source) but because they went away with antibiotics, they put the case to rest. The rash was diagnosed and we were told there that it’s benign and there is nothing to do for it. As you can imagine, I’m not okay with just putting this to bed. I started to think about things we could change at home to see if they made any difference. I needed to up this little guys immune system so I started my research. One of the very first things I did was cut out (most) processed foods, and decided to eliminate dairy. In doing my research, I learned if a person is intolerant, it can have a major negative impact on the immune and respiratory systems.
There has been a HUGE, I mean HUGE difference. I feel like his body isn’t struggling anymore if that makes sense. His rash is completely gone, he actually seems to be in a better mood, he’s better at independent play, he’s being more creative, he oddly hasn’t been having night terrors which were SO consistent (and scary) for the past couple of months, absolutely no more tummy aches, and we’re just doing our best to keep healthy and keep the cold and flu germs away. I can’t say that dairy is 100% the culprit of this change but I’m telling you, something in my gut is telling me this is the right path to be on right now.
I do eventually want to get him tested for allergies just to see, but for now I am certainly going to continue on the dairy-free train to see how this plays out.
**I’ll start tracking our meals and snacks if anyone is interested in dairy-free? If you have snack suggestions, please comment below! That’s one area I definitely need help in!**
We’ve really been incorporating more and more essential oils into our daily lives. I got a starter kit with Young Living back in October and it’s been really fun to discover the infinite uses for the oils within our home and on our bodies. I diffuse oils all day, I use them on the kids for sleep and immune support, I make spray bottles and rollers and use them as mood lifters, I use oil infused non-toxoc kids shampoo and cleanser, hand sanitizer, fruit and veggie soak, I clean our house with thieves cleaner, I replaced our laundry detergent, and SO much more. It’s a whole new, CLEAN world to explore, and I’m feeling SO good about it. I’ve been slowly kicking out all the chemicals and trading them for safer alternatives. Everyone loves them, including Big B. He did think I was a witch doctor when I first started using them but now he’s fully on board. I have a page dedicated to essential oils, here, and I’m part of a great team of like-minded oil girls. Joining Young Living immediately gets you into a wellness community and I’ve slowly been building a little team of my own 🙂 Becoming a seller is 100% optional, most people don’t want to, but the opportunity is here if you want it, you would essentially be on my team and we’d be working together. Again, read here for more info!
Brian and I decided to go to California with the family in the middle of March. He has work out there and we are going to tag along (in LA) and then spend the rest of the week in either Manhattan Beach or closer to San Diego in either Encinitas, San Clemente, or one of those cute little surfer towns. We’re looking for houses so I think we’ll probably land in wherever we find our dream vacation house! We’re trying to say yes to adventures more, make things happen. We’re young, we have our health, I have a flexible schedule, the kids aren’t in any serious activities yet so why not!? Gotta live while we can! #yesgirl
Okay, I think that’s it for now, that was an earful! I’ll be on tomorrow for Ten Things Tuesday 🙂